


Radiant

by karasgotagun (jazzmckay)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Banter, F/F, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:46:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28454820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jazzmckay/pseuds/karasgotagun
Summary: Tina draws her phone from the pocket of her dress pants to check the clock: only about twenty minutes left until the new year.Time to find some good company of her own to end the night on a pleasant note.
Relationships: Tina Chen/North (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10
Collections: New ERA Discord: Festival of Prompts





	Radiant

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TesIsAMess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TesIsAMess/gifts).



> a gift fic for [tes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TesIsAMess) as part of detroit: new era's winter event! check tes' art out [on twitter](https://twitter.com/Tes_273).
> 
> ty [RonnieSilverlake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonnieSilverlake) for the beta!

Tina taps her fingers against the champagne flute in her hand, blunt nails clinking faintly on the expensive glassware. It’s nearing empty, as she finds taking frequent sips of the sparkling drink frees her from having to respond to whoever she happens to be in conversation with, allowing her to just nod and ‘mhm’ along until there’s a window to escape.

The crowd Jericho attracts for formal events—senators and shareholders and other people with an enviable amount of money—is dull. Tina isn’t sure how Markus hasn’t second-guessed his peaceful approach to a social movement after all the old entitled jerks he’s had to make nice with.

Tina’s had just about enough of it, and she doesn’t have anything on the line like Jericho does.

“Excuse me, I need to—” Tina interrupts, gesturing to the room at large with the remnants of her champagne.

Without waiting for a response, she slips away into the crowd of androids and humans alike, all done up in formalwear and exuding festive energy. Tina draws her phone from the pocket of her dress pants to check the clock: only about twenty minutes left until the new year.

Time to find some good company of her own to end the night on a pleasant note.

She finds just who she’s looking for a few minutes later, locked in what appears to be a tense standoff with someone Tina doesn’t recognize, in the entranceway that leads to the hall.

The stranger gestures upwards with a casual hand movement, lips quirking into a lopsided grin. Tina lifts her eyes to see there’s still a bundle of mistletoe hung from the arched ceiling, perhaps left over from a Christmas event that was hosted here the week previous.

As she makes her way closer, she picks up North saying, “Are you serious? As if I give a shit about some bullshit human tradition. I said no.”

Tina’s jaw clenches. She sidesteps the last people in her way before she breaks out of the crowd to cross the last stretch towards North, a single-minded focus overtaking her.

But North has it handled before she even makes it there.

The stranger reaches a hand towards her—his final mistake. With practiced precision, North has a hard grip on his wrist, sweeping his arm back and spinning him around, shoving him face-first into the wall.

The sight makes Tina stall, stopping just to watch, to take in the strength of North’s form, the fire in her eyes. North is wearing a suit like Tina is, fitted expertly in clean lines, and her hair is braided in a crown around her head, shining in the light.

“I wasn’t going to—I didn’t mean—” the man stutters into the wall his cheek is squished against, looking cowed at last.

North doesn’t let up right away. “Next time, I’ll break your fingers.”

“Alright, okay, I got it.”

“Good.”

Stepping back, she releases him, pushing him through into the large hall. He stumbles away, throwing a glance at Tina, who can’t help but smirk in response, before he disappears from view like a dog with his tail between his legs.

North is smoothing down the lapels of her jacket when Tina faces her again, brushing the creases out of the fabric as handily as she rid herself of her presumptuous suitor.

“Nice moves,” Tina says. “Where’d you learn that arm lock, huh? Looks like you were taught by an expert.”

North huffs an amused breath as she steps closer, eyeing what’s left of Tina’s champagne. “It does have a bit more finesse than a kick to the balls, I’ll give you that, but I think a kick to the balls is more satisfying.”

“You have a point,” Tina concedes, tipping her glass towards North in acknowledgement.

North takes the opportunity to pluck it out of her hand, bringing it up to her lips for a taste. Her nose wrinkles as she considers it, analyzing it however it is androids register such things. “Texture good, taste bad.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

After handing the glass over, North rocks back on her heels, raising her eyes to the mistletoe above. “What a stupid bunch of leaves.”

Tina snorts. “Want a boost so you can tear it down?”

The suggestion has North perking up instantly, now giving a little bounce on the balls of her feet. “Hell yeah, I do.”

Gleeful. As good a look on North as her fierceness. People are going to notice the commotion of them pulling decorations down off the ceiling, and Tina doesn’t care for even a second, doesn’t give any thought to consequences when North’s looking so radiant and eager.

Crouching down, Tina sets her champagne glass aside, then knits her fingers together, supporting North’s weight as she steps on, already reaching up for the ceiling. North places her free hand on Tina’s shoulder as Tina lifts her, fingers firm and warm even through the fabric of her suit jacket.

“Got it!”

When North settles back down on solid ground, she stands proudly with her fingers wrapped around the mistletoe none too gently, leaves sticking out between her knuckles.

“Mission success,” Tina says, grinning.

“Almost,” North corrects. “C’mon.”

With her free hand, North clasps one of Tina’s and leads her into the hallway, across to another room, smaller and blissfully quiet compared to the bustle of the party. A grand balcony greets them at the other side; North slips her fingers free from Tina’s as she leans against the railing, bringing her hands together with the mistletoe between them.

Tina watches with amusement and affection as she starts to casually pull the leaves apart and let the pieces flutter away in the cool night air.

“Thorough destruction,” Tina says, leaning her side into the railing, facing North. “You’re really showing those leaves who’s boss.”

North picks a berry from the stem and flicks it at Tina’s face.

“Hey!” Tina flinches automatically, but her grin only widens. “I _helped_.”

“You’re being cheeky, so help yourself to mistletoe to the face.”

“Dork.”

North sticks her tongue out, then resumes her work, looking satisfied with herself.

Silence falls between them as they settle next to each other, North’s gaze down at her hands and Tina looking up to the waxing moon bright and high above them. Cold wind brushes past them, but the warmth of the room at their backs and North’s presence next to her make it bite less.

The quiet isn’t broken until cheers ring from far away, back in the main hall. The sound of celebration.

Tina lowers her eyes, offering North a smile. “Hey, Happy New Year.”

The last of the mistletoe leaves tumble between North’s fingers as she spreads them over the balcony, quickly disappearing into the darkness. She pushes up from the railing, turning to match Tina’s posture.

North raises a hand to Tina’s face, cool fingers ghosting along her jawline, eyes lowered, seemingly fixed on Tina’s lips.

“Happy New Year, Tina,” she murmurs.

She leans in, head tilted just slightly to the right, eyes falling closed.

Tina melts into the kiss with a content sigh, resting a hand on North’s waist.

It _will_ be a happy year, she thinks, maybe the best one yet.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading and happy holidays <3
> 
> join the [detroit: new era discord](https://discord.gg/GqvNzUm)!


End file.
